Zong Shou’s gaze flickered, and he bowed once more toward the blank spirit tablet. He finally understood why the tablet bore no inscription.

It turned out his Master actually held a chance for resurrection.

Yet, as far as he knew, the Cangsheng Dao sect currently counted more than a dozen Saints within its known ranks in this era, meaning there must be experts at the (Supreme Realm). Why had no one intervened?

A storm of doubts surged within his heart, but Zong Shou suppressed it in an instant.

He presumed that while the Profound Fate Golden Scroll held the means for heaven-defying soul summoning, the consumption must be immense.

Given the current predicament of the Cangsheng Dao, without one or two Supreme Realm experts they could genuinely rely on, their foundation in the Cloud Realm might instantly crumble.

This Cloud Realm was unlike the world he knew. The ten thousand years of the Cloud Barrens had indeed given rise to an excessive number of powerhouses.

Furthermore, Wei Xu had mentioned that the Profound Fate Golden Scroll recorded the names of Cangsheng Dao’s most core disciples, stating that less than one in ten remained.

Therefore, even with a rough estimation, the number actually recorded should be less than fifty… No wonder Wei Xu’s expression was so mournful.

The state of the Cangsheng Dao was likely not as glorious as it appeared on the surface.

Zong Shou stared intently at the golden scroll floating in the air again, secretly amazed; this item was truly extraordinary. Merely preserving it meant that even a sliver of a primordial soul could have a chance at rebirth—it could indeed be called a supreme treasure.

Besides the Profound Fate Golden Scroll, there were over a dozen Spirit Treasures here. Zong Shou browsed through them one by one, and with every item he viewed, his heart pounded violently. They were all heavy treasures with vast might; for several of them, Zong Shou had personally witnessed their world-destroying divine power in the Divine Emperor game. Treasures of this caliber were naturally out of reach for players, almost invariably held by the game characters, inciting deep yearning.

Then, his gaze was suddenly drawn to something beside the golden scroll.

It was a sword of a most peculiar design, about seven feet long, pale gold in color. The sword spine, however, was unusually thick, and the body was covered in layer upon layer of scales.

The rest was utterly unremarkable, showing no spiritual energy reaction whatsoever. Yet, it managed to hover in the void, and moreover, it was placed in the very center of the shrine, above all the other spirit tablets.

He couldn't articulate exactly what he felt at that moment. Regardless, ever since seeing this sword, his eyes could not look away.

“Since that battle eight thousand years ago, your Master has been utterly alone, always traveling solitary, sometimes his whereabouts shrouded in mystery. He entrusted all his supreme treasures and life’s ultimate learnings to me, to seek out a successor disciple for her. However, these two things are too early for you. When the day comes that you can step through the gate of Immortal Martiality, I will transfer those items to you gradually. Though you have no Master now, the lords of the Taiyuan and Seven Spirits Sects will surely regard you, Junior Brother, as a direct lineage disciple of the sect and look after you well. Should you ever face trouble in the future, Junior Brother, you may seek them out. Your Master’s wife and the founding ancestors of these two sects shared a deep sisterly bond…”

Wei Xu continued speaking until this point, only then realizing that Zong Shou behind him had drifted off. Frowning slightly, Wei Xu then let out a self-deprecating laugh and explained: “This is one of the seven Immortal Swords your Master forged in his prime. According to him, if the seven swords can be united one day, it will surely mark the time for our Cangsheng Dao to rise again. My six Martial Brothers each obtained one. Only this one, the Spirit Refining Sword, remains. Within the Cangsheng Dao, no matter what realm one has cultivated to, they cannot subdue and wield it. Many even suspect this sword was never truly completed, merely stored here to await a destined successor. As long as one is a direct lineage disciple of the sect, they have a chance to obtain it.”

Zong Shou snapped back to attention, his gaze instantly blazing upon hearing this. But in the next moment, Wei Xu immediately poured a bucket of ice water over him: “However, such critical sect artifacts cannot be lightly passed on. Our Dao disciples must, at the very least, reach the Immortal Realm and possess the power of self-preservation before they can attempt to claim this sword. Otherwise, possessing a supreme treasure would not only be useless but would only invite disaster. I advise you to stop thinking about this thing for now. Although this sword can be sought after after reaching the Immortal Realm, my fellow Martial Brothers and I only managed to subdue the other six swords after reaching the Saint Realm. Even Supreme Realm experts have found no way with this Spirit Refining Sword.”

The implication was clear: you, little fellow, shouldn't reach for things beyond your grasp. Unless you reach the Saint Realm someday, don't even try.

Zong Shou could only offer a bitter smile. Saint Realm? Supreme Realm? How long would it take before he reached the Saint Realm zenith?

But why did he have such a strange feeling right now? He felt this Spirit Refining Sword was intimately connected to his mind. Merely touching it with his hand, or even just a single thought, might allow him to subdue it.

As this thought arose, the scale-covered sword suddenly pulsed.

Zong Shou blinked hard, then looked closely again, only to see the sword was as placid as before.

He immediately frowned slightly, thinking he must have been mistaken. Thinking carefully, if the sword truly had made a movement, with Wei Xu’s cultivation, he absolutely would not have remained unaware.

Then he heard Wei Xu laugh again: “Speaking of this item, I forgot I haven't given you the initiation gift yet.”

As he spoke, a golden light suddenly shot up from Wei Xu’s sleeve. Just as Zong Shou was about to reach out to catch it, the radiance drilled directly into the center of his forehead and vanished without a trace.

Before he could examine it closely, two streaks of yellow light flew toward him. Zong Shou had expected these two things to also merge into his body. Only when they were close did he realize they hadn't. Fumbling clumsily, he caught them in his hands.

Looking closely, he saw it was a token and a jade slip.

He didn't know the exact purpose of the jade slip, only that it was refined from jade of excellent quality. The spiritual energy contained within was even more potent than the Nine-Phosphor Sword when it was repaired by Little Gold.

As for the token, it was no less impressive, even more exquisitely crafted. On the surface, it looked like an ordinary Third-Tier Spirit Tool, likely a sect identification marker, engraved with a name, status, and date. But when his divine sense penetrated it, he could clearly sense a hidden mechanism within. The complexity of the spiritual array was even greater than that of the Nine-Lin Sword.

Zong Shou glanced at it, his confusion deepening: “Direct Disciple of Taiyuan Sect, Zong Shou? What is the meaning of this?”

Wei Xu smiled without answering, only nodding slightly: “Try using it again?”

Zong Shou was utterly baffled. He then tried channeling his soul power into it, and the token began to change rapidly. First, the name Zong Shou would suddenly turn into Zhang San, Li Si, Zhao Da. Even the status ‘Direct Disciple of Taiyuan Sect’ was constantly shifting—Inner or Outer Disciple, even Direct Disciple of an Elder, Seven Spirits Sect, Taiyuan Sect—at will.

Then, when Zong Shou activated the core spiritual array within.

He could more clearly sense a thin layer of spiritual energy covering his face. It wasn't an item for disguise, nor was it an illusion technique, but it could prevent others from truly remembering his appearance.

Paired with his Celestial Fox Illusion technique, this item would surely have marvelous effects.

“This item allows you to enter and exit the various sects as you please, and also helps you conceal your identity. The Demon King of Qian Tian Mountain is actually the seventh direct heir of our Cangsheng Dao main lineage. If the surrounding sects knew, they would surely become suspicious,” Wei Xu then pointed at the jade slip in his hand: “As for this item, it was also refined specifically for you. It can gather and store the power of urgent spatial travel. As long as you remain in this realm, you can, once every ten days, teleport ten thousand li to enter our Cangsheng Dome Realm. The usage location is unrestricted, but I have fixed the point of exit at Qian Tian Mountain. It can store the spiritual energy for a maximum of three teleportations. However, this item’s greatest utility is not this…”

Zong Shou’s eyebrows shot up, and he answered without hesitation: “It’s naturally for escaping!” He gripped the jade slip tightly in his hand. This item was certainly precious to him, undoubtedly granting him several extra lives. Wei Xu immediately smiled, his eyes showing approval for a promising student.

※※※※

When Zong Shou was shifted back through space by Wei Xu to the city of Qian Tian Mountain, the deep night had not yet dispersed.

The morning star in the sky had only just appeared.

Returning to the warm pavilion, he saw the four women were still up late waiting for him. Zhao Yanran’s expression was incredibly odd when she saw him—flushing green, then white, before she finally snorted and walked out of the pavilion without even a greeting. It was likely that woman could never bring herself to utter that title.

Xuan Yunlan also held a look of surprise, but she was much more deferential than Zhao Yanran. Seeing Zong Shou, she performed a deep bow: “Disciple Yunlan greets the Senior of this Sect!”

Zong Shou chuckled and uttered a dismissive ‘Hmph,’ indicating his displeasure. Xuan Yunlan’s expression turned helpless, and she could only respectfully bow again: “Paying respects to the Grand… Grand… Grand Martial Uncle Ancestor!”

Zong Shou finally nodded in satisfaction, but immediately felt the title was too cumbersome—five ‘Grand’s in a row gave him goosebumps. He magnanimously waved his hand: “From now on, just call me Lord!”

Xuan Yunlan fell silent for a moment, thinking to herself: I am not your subject, why should I call you Lord? But she felt this title was infinitely better than the Grand… Grand… Grand Martial Uncle Ancestor, so she remained silent and offered no further objection. She then looked at Zong Shou with a pleading gaze.

Zong Shou didn't understand her intention for a long time. A moment later, he realized Xuan Yunlan wanted to leave.

The city of Qian Tian Mountain, while not a massive sect or faction, was still one of the strongest powers in the world. Especially atop Qian Tian Mountain, within the Hanyan Palace, masters were numerous. During the night, security was extremely tight.

Without his command, Xuan Yunlan likely could not leave. A further probe with his divine soul confirmed it; Zhao Yanran had not left either, but was waiting outside the door.

Zong Shou smiled faintly, then waved his sleeve toward Chuxue, signaling: “Xue’er, escort them down the mountain.”

Chuxue, who had a belly full of questions she wanted to ask, felt a surge of reluctance when Zong Shou immediately sent her away. Grudgingly, she led Xuan Yunlan away.

Ruoshui, however, smiled, understanding that Zong Shou likely needed a period of solitary quiet contemplation. Without waiting for Zong Shou to speak, she walked out of the warm pavilion on her own accord. She did not leave entirely, however, but waited outside the door to stand guard.

And immediately after the four women had left in succession, Zong Shou sat cross-legged on the ground, regulating his breathing and entering meditation, sinking his consciousness into his sea of souls.

The first thing he needed to ascertain was exactly what that ball of golden light was. (To be continued)